GREAT EXPECTATIONS

A frustrated actor, Dickens himself entertained thousands in England and America with readings from his own books. But would his reading of GREAT EXPECTATIONS be better than this one? Not likely. Martin Jarvis takes charge of this work with intelligence and talented intensity. The BBC-trained Jarvis produces authentic British voices. His characters are vibrant, and his pace allows one to follow the action without strain. His voice, however, is on the shallow side, with too much scratchiness to be pleasing. The recording is enhanced by a background hiss reduction system. P.W. ©AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG 93]